Three's a crowd
by alijoe13
Summary: Anakin tries to convince a planet to sign allegiance the Republic when the Separatists' interfere and Ahsoka is forced to stop them. However, the youngling that has stowed aboard their ship is not helping the situation and things are only getting worse.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Here's my story for y'all to check out. Hope ya like the first chapter!

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These were perhaps the only crazy moments at the Jedi Temple. Possibly the only time the building's seemingly constant tranquil atmosphere was temporarily replaced with a commotion that bordered on chaos.

They were the few brief minutes near the end of breakfast when the first training hour began. People of all ranks seemed to be going every which way. Younglings sped through the halls, racing to get to their classes on time. Padawans whose masters followed the Temple teaching schedule scrambled equally fast as they each hustled to get to training sessions with his or her master. Some masters even hurried through the halls, albeit with a bit more grace and composure, attempting to locate Padawans, head out on missions, or simply get out of the crowded hallway. Other masters however were perhaps the few exceptions from the hectic rush. They walked through the hallways relatively coolly, veering occasionally to avoid collision with a darting child.

Two such Jedi Masters were Obi-wan Kenobi and Plo Koon. Earlier in the morning, the two men had bump into each other in the mess hall and decided to take the chance to catch up. Now, Obi-wan was walking with Plo Koon towards the Jedi Council chambers for a meeting.

"Well, we certainly picked the ideal time to exit the cafeteria," Obi-wan commented sarcastically as he raised his elbow out of the way of a racing youngling.

"Indeed," Plo responded. "It probably would have been wiser to wait a few minutes for the halls to clear."

Obi-wan stepped quickly to the side of the wide hallway and stood next to the wall, leaning his back against its smooth, tan surface. He beckoned to Plo to join him. "We'll just wait here for a few moments, until everyone clears," he stated as the Kel Dorian made his way to the wall.

The two Jedi stood in comfortable silence as each youngling, Padawan, and Knight slowly disappeared either into one of the few rooms that lined the hall or around the corner a few dozen feet away. It wasn't too long before there was no one left in sight, leaving the long echoing foyer relatively noiseless as the sound of footfalls and speech died away.

The pair stood still, absorbing the peace for a long moment until Obi-wan broke the silence, turning to his friend. "Shall we go?" he asked gesturing down the hallway with his hand.

Plo nodded and began walking in the direction Obi-wan had waved, with said Jedi falling into step beside him.

The mess hall was on the second floor while the Council Chambers stood at the top of the Temple, so the two had a bit of a walk ahead of them. They passed the time by continuing their conversation in the mess hall, though the subject changed multiple times as they walked to the lifts.

"So how are Anakin and Ahsoka adjusting to each other?" Plo asked eventually, as they stood waiting in front of the silver lift doors.

"Quite well in my opinion. I figured they would," Obi-wan answered almost immediately, crossing his arms comfortably. "They are very much alike, more so than I think either one will admit."

"Mmm, I have seen them interact together," Plo stated, in a rather amused tone. "They are certainly an interesting pair to watch. Ahsoka seems very comfortable around him."

"Indeed. I'd forgotten you two were close," Obi-wan admitted. He was about to continue when the sound of rapid footsteps came echoing down the hallway from around the corner. A pair of children, two younglings from the look of their ages, bounded around the corner and vanished quickly through another doorway.

Masters' Obi-wan and Plo exchanged a brief look before laughing lightly at the younglings, who were clearly late for class.

"Anyway, yes," Obi-wan finished, with a smile still on his face. "They seem to have become well attuned to each other."

"Then Skywalker is happy with having a Padawan?" Plo inquired casually. "I recall hearing at one time that he was unsure of being a mentor."

"However reluctant he is, Anakin is a natural teacher. I believe he just needed the right student to bring that out," Obi-wan said, bringing one of his hands up to stroke his beard as he spoke. "He's quite fond of Ahsoka, and they work well as a team now that they've gotten past the initial bickering."

Plo chuckled for a moment, then folded his hands behind his back as he spoke. "I must admit, I think quite a few of the Council members were concerned at Master Yoda's decision to assigned them as Master and Padawan. Neither one is the calmest of people to begin with so there were trepidations about them feeding each other's habits; none of us were sure what would happen when we put them together."

"Ah yes, I remember the discussion," Obi-wan said, thoughtfully. "There were questions as to whether Anakin would calm down in taking on a student, or simply pass on his lifestyle and behaviors to her." He laughed softly.

"I suppose the answer to those questions remain to be seen," Plo responded.

Obi-wan paused for a moment. "Yes…" he began slowly. "However, they seem to be headed in the right direction. I think the responsibility has done Anakin some good. I think he has matured some since having someone to look after…" Obi-wan trail off as a heavy, uneven pounding resounded through the hall, seeming extremely out of place in the still calmness that had settled over the Temple. He soon recognized the sound as running footsteps. Both Jedi turned to watch for the younglings or Padawans to speed around the corner. The sound of man shouting reached them before the source of the commotion did.

But the source did, indeed, reach them.

Ahsoka, her expression a mix of fear and playfulness, was the first to swing around the corner, with Anakin in hot pursuit, thundering a couple yards behind her.

"Come back here!" Anakin yelled angrily, lunging and swiping a hand at her back in an attempt to snag her. His voice echoed through the halls, destroying any serenity that had managed to survive the sounds of their chase.

"Not on your life," Ahsoka responded at the same volume. "And especially not on _mine_!" She turned and looked at him as she spoke, only to give a small shriek when she saw he was gaining.

Master and Padawan tore by Plo and Obi-wan without seeming to notice them. However, Obi-wan could've sworn Anakin shot a fleeting glance at him as he passed. The Jedi Master stared wide-eyed as the duo continued down the long corridor and disappeared from sight, though not from earshot.

As Obi-wan continued to gape in stunned silence, Master Plo cleared his throat significantly. "Shall I propose a gamble on that?" he commented, hardly able to keep the laughter out of his voice.

Obi-wan turned and gave Plo a look that is often accompanied with the sarcastic words 'very funny.' Then he spun his gaze back to the end of the hall. He twisted is body halfway towards Plo while is head and eyes remained unmoved. "Perhaps I will meet you up at the Council room, Master Plo," he suggested slowly. "I believe I will have a few words with my former Padawan."

Plo chuckled softly before talking. "Far be it from me to stand in the way of that," he said to himself as Obi-wan began walking away. "Good luck," he said a bit louder. He watched Obi-wan for a moment, who followed Anakin and Ahsoka path and brought his hands behind his back as he walked.

Then Plo turned to the lift doors, which had yet to open. _What's going on with this thing? _he mused. Then something caught his eye, and he brought his hand up to his face, shaking his head slowly. Moving very deliberately, he reached forward with his other hand and pressed the small silver button that called the lift. _This is going to be a long day..._

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So what'd ya think? For those of ya who remember my first story, Secrets and Trust, you might (Possibly) remember that my first chapter's not the best, but the next chapter will be better and should be up soon. Please let me know what you think, reviews make my day, whether they've got compliments or (constructive) **criticism. See ya soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**For those of you that were wondering, namely Ahsokasister, This isn't a sequel to Secrets and Trust. This takes place beforehand, though the two stories really aren't connected. I set this not long after Ahsoka becomes Anakin's Padawan. Somewhere between one to two or three months afterwards. So they're in their old outfits. Ok, just wanted to clear that up! Enjoy!**

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Obi-wan followed the sounds of Anakin and Ahsoka's game of Cat and Mouse. From the expressions of the few Jedi that were roaming the halls, expressions which ranged all the way from confused to appalled, he was on the right track. He soon came upon one of the larger exercise rooms that all the noise seemed to originate from. The door slid open to reveal the almost empty training chamber.

One side of the room had training equipment lined up along the wall. There were dumbbells, which ranged from small to large, training lightsabers, obviously used for combat practice and sparring, and weighted stones, bags, and balls, used generally for force training. On the other side of the room, the floor was mostly covered with padded mats. There was a low balance beam next to a short vaulting table and spring board that stood near the far wall. But it was none of these things the caught Obi-wan's eyes. Rather, it was the racket next to the acrobatic bars at drew his attention.

Apparently, Anakin had caught Ahsoka, because he now had his arms locked around her shoulders and upper arms, with her back pressed hard up against his chest. He locked his wrists together and bent over her, trying to keep his hold on his struggling Padawan.

Ahsoka fought against her Master, twisting and wriggling, trying to free herself from his iron grip. "Let go of me!" she yelled. "I gave you fair warning! It's not my fault!" Then she planted her feet and grabbed hold of his forearms. Obi-wan watched as she straightened her body and then quickly bent over, trying to flip Anakin over her shoulder. Anakin, however, leaned with Ahsoka and, though his feet almost lifted off the floor, managed to stay upright.

"Nice try, Snips, but you'll have to do better than that," Anakin said smugly. "I'm a bit bigger than you think."

"You mean, your ego is bigger than I thought possible," Ahsoka muttered sourly.

Throughout all of this, Obi-wan stayed in the doorway with his arms crossed, waiting for one of them to notice him. Their backs were to him and they didn't show any sign of sensing him, so he decided now was a good time to announce his presence.

"Interesting training techniques you use, Anakin," he called out, his voice echoing in the stone-walled room. "I'm surprised Ahsoka has survived this long unscathed."

Anakin whipped around at Obi-wan's words, dragging Ahsoka with him. They both froze, wide-eyed when they saw him; Ahsoka dangled from Anakin's still locked grasp, her feet not supporting her, but merely scraping the ground as she stared.

They both seemed to snap back to responsiveness at the same time. Anakin straightened up and set Ahsoka back on her feet then they both stepped away from each other and dropped their arms innocently at their sides.

Obi-wan entered the room, allowing the door to slide shut with an audible _hiss_. "So," he began, coming to a halt in front of them. "Would one of you like to explain why you two were making such a commotion in the halls _during_ the first training hour?" He turned to Anakin. "I know you don't follow the schedule Anakin, but I would think you would have more respect for those that do. What would possess you to do such a thing?"

"He was trying to kill me!" Ahsoka blurted out just as Anakin opened his mouth to respond.

"Oh, I was not," Anakin stated, as if the notion was ridiculous. "Severe maiming was the worst I would have done."

"Oh that's comforting," Ahsoka snapped sarcastically.

"Now just wait a minute," Obi-wan broke in. "No one answered me. Why were you chasing her?"

"Because," Anakin started, crossing his arms to mirror Obi-wan's posture. "She ruined my macrofuser!"

"You're overreacting," Ahsoka said, still facing Obi-wan though she directed her words at her master. "It's not-"

"Overreacting!" Anakin yelled, turning towards Ahsoka. "You flushed it down the toilet!"

Obi-wan rubbed his eyes with his thumb and fingers while the two turned on each other.

"I told you I was going to!"

"I didn't think you were serious!"

"Well, that was your mistake, wasn't it?"

"Oh, excuse me for thinking that my Padawan was a little above flushing my stuff!"

"Says the man who uses _my _dresser as a _work station! _Even after I asked him to stop!"

Obi-wan opened his mouth to cut in but Anakin and Ahsoka didn't give him the opening, and the two continued to yelled louder each time they spoke. For wild instant, he had this absurd picture of fire spewing out from their mouths every time they spoke. The image seemed oddly appropriate at the moment.

"It wasn't hurting anything. Unlike _flushing tools down the toilet!_"

"Wasn't hurting anything? Every time I had to get something out a drawer, all your junk would fall onto the floor. And often on my feet! Plus, it all spreads all over the place and I step on them!"

"Maybe but a-"

"And I didn't flush it _down…_trust me, I tried, it wouldn't go… you got it back."

"_It doesn't work!_"

"_So_?"

"_ALRIGHT_!" Obi-wan eventually shouted. "That's enough!"

Like 5 year olds, Anakin and Ahsoka each crossed their arms and turned away from each other, without a word.

Obi-wan huffed as he placed his hands on his hips and watched their silent fuming for a moment. "Obviously, you two have some things to work through, and I, for one, have no intention of being your mediator." He tried to make eye contact with them both, but they seemed as intent on avoiding his gaze as each other's. Glancing at the chrono on his wrist, Obi-wan sighed. "Now I'm late for a meeting." He looked up at them again. "Solve your problems however you will. Only, do try to remember, you're not on the battlefield. So don't disturb the rest of the Temple with your antics."

Again, Obi-wan received no response from either Master or Apprentice. "Fine then." And Obi-wan stepped out the door without further comment.

Once out in the hall, Obi-wan let out a long, deep sigh, and then turned and rushed to the lifts, hoping desperately that there wouldn't be another interruption that would prevent him from getting to the council meeting.

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As soon as the door slid shut behind Master Obi-wan, Anakin slid his eyes to the side to stare at Ahsoka.

Sensing her master's glare, Ahsoka turned her head and looked up at her master. They stood in silence for a long moment before Ahsoka spoke up. "So…" she said, shifting her weight away from Anakin. "Should I be running?"

Anakin didn't respond right away, but looked at something over Ahsoka's head. "No," he said oddly.

Ahsoka raised one of the white marks that stood over her eyes. "That's it? Argument over?"

"It will be." Anakin returned his eyes to Ahsoka. "As soon as you do….oh, 20 or 30 beam sequences. With the weapons simulator," he stated with a wicked grin and an evil tone.

Ahsoka's jaw dropped open. "No way! That'll take hours."

"Then you'd better get started," Anakin advised, giving her a shove towards the beam. He himself strode over to a short shelf where a few strange, round devices covered with tiny holes were sitting. Picking one up, Anakin pressed a few buttons and the machine hummed to life. He tossed it out into the air in front of him, but instead of falling and clanking to the ground, it floated in the open space.

Ahsoka, though standing near the balance beam, crossed her arms over her chest and stared impudently at her master, making it clear she had no intention of complying.

Anakin crossed his own arms and stared just as boldly at Ahsoka.

They held this position until Anakin's patience worn thin. "Now Snips!" he growled "Mount!"

"Master!" Ahsoka said in an angry, bordering on whiny, tone.

"Padawan!" Anakin responded in the same tone. "Now that we've clarified our ranks, maybe you'll recall that _I _am responsible for your training." He lifted his arm and pointed at the narrow piece of equipment a few feet away from Ahsoka. "And _I'm_ telling you to train. So go!"

"This isn't training," Ahsoka retorted, jutting her chin out defiantly. "This is punishment. And an unfair one at that!" she exclaimed with a stamp of her foot.

Anakin made no move or comment. He stood ramrod straight, his arm still extended.

Ahsoka growled and stomped the few steps to the beam, then mounted with a low, neat backflip, feeling the need to show off a bit flourish that displayed the depth of her annoyed attitude. Anakin started for the door just as she drew her lightsaber. "Where are you going?" Ahsoka exclaimed.

"What? You don't think I'm gonna stay here for the next two hours, do you?"

Ahsoka glared open-mouthed at Anakin's back as he vanished through the door. Then she turned her attention to the weapons simulator that was floating towards her, and readied her lightsaber.

A beam sequence, as Anakin and Ahsoka referred to them, was something Anakin had come up with after taking notice of Ahsoka's acrobatic skills. Ahsoka had to perform a series of acrobatic moves on the 5-inch-wide balance beam while Anakin would throw in different obstacles in attempts to knock her off balance. If she fell, she had to start over. The obstacles ranged from the occasional ball being thrown into her view, all the way to lightsaber sparring. Supposedly, this exercise was to help her get experience fighting on tight ledges and also to give her the chance to learn to use her agility to her advantage in battle. However, it had slowly morphed into little more than a chance for Anakin to harass Ahsoka.

The blaster simulator was something Anakin added recently. It wasn't quite as hard as the sparring, but it was more than enough to have Ahsoka breathing hard by the fourth sequence and sweating profusely by the seventh. By the time she was partway through the twelfth, Ahsoka had been stung multiple times by the simulator, and fallen off four times.

"Forget it," Ahsoka said to herself and used the force to pull the small floating device to her hand, ducking one of the shots it let lose as it came towards her. She switched it off and tossed it back onto the shelf, taking no care to replace it when it rolled off and clattered the floor.

On her way out the door, Ahsoka encountered a pair of girls trying to enter the training room.

"Oof," Ahsoka puffed, as one of the children rammed into her stomach while looking at her friend behind her.

"Sorry!" the girl said, giggling slightly from something that must have happened before she came around the corner.

Ahsoka coughed lightly, cleared her throat, and smiled. "It's ok, younglings," she said, her voice a bit rough.

"Youngling!" the other child said indignantly. "You're not allowed to call us _that_. You're a youngling too."

"Actually, I'm a Padawan," Ahsoka responded proudly. "And…I didn't mean it as a bad thing."

"You can't be a Padawan," protested the youngling that ran into her. "You're too young."

"Master Yoda graduated me to Padawan early." Normally, Ahsoka wouldn't have minded talking to the girls about how her skills had gotten her promoted earlier than usual. She was proud of her abilities. However, right now she was sweaty, hungry, and anxious to get back to her room. Though, she liked children and was willing to give them a few moments.

"What's your name?" one girl asked suspiciously.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and smiled a bit at the girl's tone. "Ahsoka Tano."

Instantly, the other girl's eyes of the girl who hit Ahsoka lit up. "Oh _I_ know you!" she said excitedly. "You're Master Anakin Skywalker's Padawan! I know _a lot_ about you."

Ahsoka cocked an eyemark, but the youngling continued before she could respond. "I like to listen to stories my friends tell about him and you! You're like heroes in the war!"

Again, Ahsoka went to respond, but, again, the child got there first. "Will you come train with me and Lilith?"

"Kyra…" the other girl started, her head tilting to the side and arms crossing. For a moment, she looked oddly like Anakin when he was about to say something Ahsoka wasn't going to like. "I'm sure she has other things to do. She's probably too busy for _us!_" she stated sourly.

Ahsoka took an instant disliking to this Lilith girl. She was like many of Ahsoka's friends who gotten their feather's (or scales, as the case was in one instance) ruffled over her early apprenticeship. But this she, and Kyra come to think of it, couldn't be more than nine and therefore would have had very little to no interaction with Ahsoka as a kid. In fact, the girls were probably closer to six or seven. They spoke clearly and relatively soundly, but that wasn't unusual for Jedi youngling. Living at the Temple usually forced you to mature and advance quicker than normal. By the age of three, almost all children could speak clear, full, logical sentences.

Ahsoka pulled herself from her thoughts as she honed in on Kyra's large, begging eyes; the same eyes Ahsoka used on Anakin at times. They didn't always work and weren't about to work here either. "I'm sorry. It's nothing against either one of you but I just came from a very long training session and need to go find my master."

"Fine," Kyra pouted. "But promise you will come _sometime._"

"Okay," Ahsoka said easily. She figured the youngling would probably forget about it soon enough.

"_Soon,"_ Kyra said with her face wide and demanding, and her little fists in balls at her sides.

"Okay," Ahsoka said again, reassuringly.

This entire conversation took place right there in the doorway. Now, Ahsoka moved to the side, to let Kyra and Lilith pass. Then she stepped away from the door.

As it slid closed, Ahsoka laughed a bit at the girls, and then continued down the hall, in search of her master.

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**Just a warning, this story is taking longer than I expected to get started so the first few chapters are gonna be broken up a little weird. lol well don't forget to review! They inspire me. hahaha, no joke, love em! **


	3. Chapter 3

Ahsoka entered her and Anakin's shared room to find Obi-wan there, speaking with her master. Anakin turned and looked at her as she walked in, and smirked. "Have a good workout, Snips?" he said, evil humor coloring his tone.

Ahsoka's small smile from her recent conversation with the younglings melted into an irritated glare that seemed to amuse Anakin even more. Suddenly realizing she didn't want to talk to him, Ahsoka stalked away from the Anakin, though choosing to stay in the room to listen to his conversation with Obi-wan. Had it been something private, Anakin would have given her something to do to get her out of earshot. That he was ignoring her now told her that she was free to listen in if she wanted.

She collapsed on the short couch that sat against the far wall of the front room and, leaning into the corner, watched the two Jedi as they continued their conversation. Ahsoka noted that Anakin and Obi-wan had not moved to the small table near the corner of the room, where most of their talks took place. Instead, they chose to stand in the middle of the room and talk. _Master Obi-wan must not intend to stay long._

"So," Obi-wan said, evidently drawing the exchange to a close. "You would have to leave soon so you don't have long to decide. Will you go?"

"Go where?" Ahsoka asked as she straightened up in her seat.

"On a very poorly disguised attempt to get you and me out of the Temple for a few days," Anakin responded, leaning one shoulder in her direction with his arms crossed as he looked at her. His light, playful manner told Ahsoka that all was forgiven. Or at least being pushed aside for now.

Obi-wan didn't bother to deny Anakin's statement, which made Ahsoka smile a bit. She realized that the implication behind that should probably be offensive but she couldn't find anything in herself that felt insulted. That made her smile a bit more.

"Yeah…we'll go," Anakin said eventually, "if only to avoid the next week of insinuations and undercurrents that are sure to be coming."

"Your willingness astounds me," Obi-wan said dryly. Then he turned and started for the door. "The cargo ship is already loaded, and the _Resolute_ is ready for departure when you are. You'll leave within the hour."

"Wait, what do mean it's ready for departure? Who gave those orders? This is the first I've heard of this," Anakin demanded.

"Well, I hardly expected you to say no, so I thought I would save some time," Obi-wan stated just before he disappeared through the door.

Anakin muttered something in huttese, and Ahsoka thought she caught the word for nuisance. Ahsoka didn't know huttese very well but, thanks to her master, knew a few words here and there. _I wonder if I should be concerned that the only the only things I can say in huttese would start a fight?_

"So," Anakin began, setting his hands on his hips. "Think you can pack and be ready to leave in less than half an hour?"

Ahsoka pursed her lips and gripped the ankles of her folded legs. "Maybe...if you tell me where we're going and how long we'll be gone."

"To Ando. We're escorting a supply ship," Anakin said as he started towards the back room.

Though Anakin wasn't facing her, Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Why?"

"Certain ships have been having trouble around the middle and outer rims." Anakin was shouting from the back room now.

"No, I mean, why to Ando? I didn't know there were battles going on there," Ahsoka shouted back.

"There haven't. But the Republic still needs to support those who have chosen to stay loyal."

Ahsoka's face scrunched up. "I understand. I guess. But wouldn't we be more helpful somewhere else?"

"We'll go where we're needed, Ahsoka," Anakin reproached.

Ahsoka stayed silent at the comment.

"But... should a problem elsewhere arise while we're out, it would be irresponsible of us to turn it down," Anakin called out matter-of-factly.

Ahsoka grinned to herself, then sprang from the couch and bounded to the bedroom, where her master was throwing what seemed like arbitrary objects into a small carrier. "Not that you have any place to preach on responsibility," Ahsoka commented playfully as she pulled down her packing case from a small nook over her bed.

Anakin's retort came in the form of a wadded shirt that smacked Ahsoka in the back of her head.

Ahsoka laughed and threw the shirt back at him. Then she turned to her dresser, pulled out a few random pieces of clothing and odds and ends. Then she skipped to the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush and a few things from the shower. Tossing these things into her bag, Ahsoka glanced around the room for anything else she might need. She tapped her lightsaber that hung on her belt, and then shut her case. She turned around to see her master leaning back against his bed, looking at her with an amused expression.

"Interesting packing job," he remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Ahsoka resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him, swung her pack over her shoulder, and stuck her chin high in the air as she marched from the room. She could hear her master's stifled laughter as he followed her out the door.

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Anakin and Ahsoka had just exited the lifts when Ahsoka heard a young, excited voice calling her name. Both she and Anakin turned to see Kyra racing in her direction. "I'll meet you at the ship," Ahsoka told Anakin.

Anakin nodded before turning back around. "Don't be too long, though," he said before leaving.

Kyra bounced up just as Anakin disappeared around the corner. "Will you come practice now?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm sorry, I can't right now," Ahsoka told the youngling, whose face and shoulders immediately fell at the comment. "I'm headed out on a mission."

"Where are you going?" Kyra questioned, eyeing Ahsoka's pack that hung just behind her shoulder.

"To make sure that a supply ship gets to its destination safely."

Kyra's pretty blue eyes lit up again. "Oh! Can me and Lilith come with you?" she asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Umm…" Ahsoka hesitated. She supposed there wasn't really any reason that they couldn't, but Ahsoka wasn't particularly fond of Lilith. Plus, there was no way that her master would allow any children aboard. "I'm afraid not, Kyra," Ahsoka said. "It's too dangerous."

Kyra cocked her head to the side. "It doesn't sound so dangerous. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" the youngling begged.

Ahsoka winced at the annoying frequency that that Kyra voice hit. She glanced down the hallway, looking for an escape. "Not this time, Kyra. And I really have to go. My master is waiting on me," she said, leaning towards the end of the hallway.

"But when will you be back?" Kyra called, as Ahsoka started backing away.

"Uh, I'm not sure. But we will get together as soon as I get back." Ahsoka hurried away before the youngling could detain her longer.

Running through the halls and careful to avoid running into anyone, Ahsoka made her way to the launch pad. When she'd made it to the exit, she slowed for a moment to give the doors a chance to slide open.

The noise on the large launch pad took her by surprise. There were about five gunships sitting on the pad being both loaded and boarded. Ahsoka looked around, searching for her master. She spied him just as he was about to board a nearby gunship. She quickly wove her way through the scatter of people over to him.

"There you are, Snips," he said as she ran up. "You-"

"-are just on time, as always?" Ahsoka interrupted. "That's what you were gonna say right?"

"Yeah." Anakin rolled his eyes. "Word for word."

Ahsoka sped by her master onto the gunship that was to take them to their waiting ship. She reached her hand up to grip one of the handles as he stepped aboard. The gunship lifted away from the pad a few moments later.

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"Well, this has been an exceptionally boring trip so far," Ahsoka said to Anakin as they walked slowly down the hallway of the _Resolute,_ headed for the bridge_. _

"Yup," Anakin responded. "But that's a good thing. Sometimes, it nice to not be needed."

Ahsoka looked up at her master as she spoke. "But sometimes it's just annoying."

Anakin gave a smile of rueful agreement.

The ships had been traveling for hours and were nearly at Ando. So far, there was no trouble. Ahsoka knew that her master was right that she should be glad for the quiet. It meant that lives would not be lost or put in danger. But she was restless, and ready for action. A peaceful ride through space was not exactly was Anakin had implied this mission would be.

When they arrived at the doorway of the bridge, Ahsoka stopped. Anakin was bound to busy and distracted in there so she decided to go find something else to do.

Just as she swung her body around in an exaggerated turn, she felt Anakin's restraining hand on her shoulder for a moment. "Don't be so impatient, Snips. Remember, a Jedi-" he began indulgently.

"-Doesn't go looking for trouble. I know, Master," Ahsoka interrupted, feeling a bit patronized by Anakin's tone. Sometimes he treated her like such a youngling.

Ahsoka walked away from Anakin back towards the cargo bay. Many of the clones hung around in there when they weren't on duty and there might be a game of Subacc going on that she could watch. They never let her play though, claiming that the General probably wouldn't approving. Though, she was sure Anakin would care.

Sure enough, when she entered the cargo hold, she heard soft talking, then a few groans and one loud cheer.

The hold was a large, echoing room filled with nothing but stacks of crates, so it took her a few moments to figure out the direction the noises came from. She soon followed them to a place near the back where all the crates had been pushed aside to form a roughly circular space.

A small ring of men sat around a pile of credits, ration bars, small pieces of candy, and other objects. When she came into view, a number of the men looked up at her and gave a slight nod or called a greeting. Only one or two of the men bothered to give her a casual salute.

Ahsoka's irritation at not being treated like a superior officer should be warred with her pleasure that the men were fairly at ease around her. Not that they weren't at ease around her master, but no one could ever seem to quite relax with a man of his ranking around.

Ahsoka knew that she was only irritated because she knew some of the clones were still having a hard time thinking of her as commander because of her age. By the Force, you would sometimes think they thought they were taking orders from a toddler.

The Padawan sighed. _That'll change sometime,_ she thought_. _She recalled Rex once saying that, to him, experienced outranked everything. She was sure she'd get there sooner or later.

Ahsoka sat down next to one of the troopers. "So, who's winning?"

Time passed quickly as Ahsoka got more and more into the game. But, even as time passed, something poked at the back of her mind. At first, she ignored it, as the feeling wasn't near strong enough to warrant attention. But the longer she ignored it, the stronger it got. It wasn't even that it got more urgent, just focused.

Soon, Ahsoka allowed the sounds and actions of the game to fade out as she shifted her attention to the feeling.

_No, not a feeling, _she decided. _A..._ Ahsoka compared different sensations and messages she'd felt before through the force.

..._a_ _presence? _

Yes. A force presence.

Ahsoka stood. Once she fit that into the picture, the feeling was simple isolate. Ahsoka moved slowly out of the circle. She focused more and more on the signature, trying to find its location. It wasn't strong like her master's, so it took longer than expected.

The signature didn't move though. The owner of it didn't react to her mind at all. Like he didn't know she was sensing him. She turned to stand in front of a short stack of crates.

Gripping the two edges of two crates that were pushed together on top of the stack, Ahsoka mentally count to three. Then she shoved the two crates apart.

A sharp, high-pitched squeal came from behind the crates and a small form came tumbling out from its hiding spot. Before Ahsoka could respond, young brown eyes turned to meet hers.

"Lilith?" Ahsoka cried out in utter shock. "What in the blazes are you doing here!"

* * *

**I'm not dead! I know, it's a surprise right? Over a month without updating, really bad, I know. I'm a terrible author. lol but honestly though, I do feel bad. lol you should have seen me right this chater though. It was an absolute mess. But now that finals are done, I have more time to write! Alright well I'll do my best to get the next chapter up soon! Please please please review! They make me write faster!**


	4. Chapter 4

"And there's no way for us to get her back?" Anakin shifted his weight to his other foot as he placed his hands on the holotable that held the blue hologram of Obi-wan.

"Not that I can tell, Anakin," the extraordinarily unhelpful Jedi Master replied. "You've already passed the halfway mark so you would have no way of getting to the check point in time if you turned back now."

Anakin sighed angrily and his brow lowered over his clear blue eyes.

"But I will contact Lilith's class master and let him know that she is with you in...relative safety," Obi-wan assured.

"As safe as one can be with Master Skywalker," Ahsoka piped up from behind Anakin. She had been silent throughout most of the conversation, seated quietly against one of the unoccupied consoles that lined the walls of the large communication's room. Anakin should have known better than to think she'd keep her mouth shut for long. He shot her an icy stare for her comment.

Widening her eyes and looking away innocently, Ahsoka strode casually across the room and stood on the other side of the table, placing her hands on her hips backwards.

Lilith trailed behind Ahsoka as she walked. Once they reached the holotable, Lilith stepped in front of her, placed her forearms on the table and leaned forward on them. She wasn't quite tall enough to reach it comfortably though, so her feet ended up dangling nearly completely off the floor.

Obi-wan's attention turned to Lilith. "Hello there, youngling. Who is your class master? I will alert him of your whereabouts."

Lilith shifted her weight off the table, but left her hands there. "Master Jervendo," she responded overly-seriously. Anakin noted how her chest went out as bit as she spoke. She clearly felt very important at being called upon.

His eyes shifted to Ahsoka as her head cocked to the side and eyemarks lowered a moment in comprehension. "Really?" she asked curiously, a slight smile tracing her lips. Lilith's self-importance seemed to be lost on her.

Lilith looked up at her and nodded.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Master Jervendo was my class master. He's the one who first taught me how to hold a lightsaber," Ahsoka stated with a hit of laughter lightening her tone. Her hand moved to caress her lightsaber as she spoke.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at the weapon before moving them back to his Padawan's face. "Ah," he began, folding his arms in mock-anger. "So he's the one I have to kill for teaching you that Shein grip."

Ahsoka smiled and gave a carefree shrug.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two have settled your little debate," Obi-wan commented. "Though, I do wish you hadn't waited until you were in the dead of space where there's no one around to bother to do it."

"Settled?" Anakin questioned. "Oh no, Ahsoka still owes me about ten more beam sequences."

Ahsoka jerked her head up and stared at him, her body rigid. "How did you know?"

Anakin flashed a grin. He had thought earlier that it had taken Ahsoka an awful short amount of time to do those sequences. "I didn't. But I do now."

Obi-wan sighed while Ahsoka pouted. "Sorry I brought it up," he mumbled to no one in particular. Raising his voice, he continued. "I believe I will take this moment to escape. Good luck all." Without waiting for a response, Obi-wan's blue hologram disappeared.

Immediately after the hologram cut out, Ahsoka all but leaped at Anakin. "Are you really going to make me do ten more?"

"Of course, Snips," Anakin responded brightly, as if relaying good news. The door hissed opened as he continued. "I said what I wanted you to do and if I changed my mind now, you might think I'm sending mixed signals." He glanced over to see who walked in, then finished with a smile. "Wouldn't want you getting confused."

When Ahsoka made a face but didn't respond, Anakin turned to the newest arrival. "What's up, Rex?"

Rex stood respectfully at attention in front of Anakin for a moment before responding. "Nothing urgent, Sir," Rex began in his professional tone. "There are some files missing from the ship's memory. We think that they might have been corrupted somehow and our security protocols wiped them out." His eyes wandered to the youngling as he spoke, and his brow furrowed.

Ignoring Rex's confusion, Anakin's own brow lowered in concern. "Were they important?"

"Not especially, Sir," Rex responded, turning back. "But they were mission files, so they were probably backed up on your datapad. I came to ask if I could borrow it to see if I could sift through the files and replace the missing ones on the computer."

"Hmm, will you have time to finish before we arrive?" Anakin asked. "We'll be landing in a few hours."

Rex shrugged. "It'll be tedious, but it shouldn't take more than an hour or two once I get started."

As Anakin nodded, his eyes crept to Ahsoka, who, once she noticed his look, snapped at him. "What?"

"On second thought, Rex," Anakin ventured with a smile. "Ahsoka will do it for you."

Ahsoka's jaw dropped open and her crossed arms dropped flat to her side. "Why me?"

"Do this and you're off the hook for the macrofuser."

Ahsoka glared at him as she thought about his offer. It was probably the best she would ever get out of him. She re-crossed her arms and looked away, letting out her breath in a huff. "Fine."

While Anakin smile triumphantly, Rex's eye roamed back to Lilith. "Who's the youngling?" he asked, a wave of déjà vu washing over him as he was reminded of the day he met Ahsoka.

"Oh," Anakin mumbled. "This is-"

"Lilith," Lilith announced. "And I'm helping Master Skywalker on this mission," she added with a proud smile.

Rex moved his gaze back to Anakin, raising an eyebrow.

Anakin shook his head and rolled his eyes. "She stowed aboard the ship and she's just staying with us until we can get her back to the Temple."

"I see," Rex said slowly. Then he turned to Ahsoka. "Ready kid?"

"Yeah, but knowing my master," she responded, glancing at Anakin as she spoke, "I need to go by his room to get his datapad. I'm sure he doesn't have it with him."

Rex chuckled. "Alright. I'll go to the Conference room and get you set up. There's a computer in the room and there shouldn't be anyone in there so we'll be out of the way. You can meet me there.

"Okay," Ahsoka responded. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Rex nodded, then turned and strode out of the room.

As Rex exited, Anakin spoke up. "_Actually_, Snips," he began, and then reached over to a nearby desk and extended a datapad towards Ahsoka. "Here."

Ahsoka stared at the device, but didn't reach out to take it. "That's mine," she said blankly.

"Yes."

"Why do you have it?"

Anakin shrugged uncomfortably. "I was borrowing it. Mine…seems to have temporarily displaced itself from my possession."

"So you lost it."

"Eh, temporarily," Anakin specified, then reached out to place the datapad into one of Ahsoka's hands.

"But I don't have the mission files organized in mine," Ahsoka complained as she adjusted her hand to balance the sudden weight. "They're just downloaded automatically. Yours are at least separated out into dates."

Anakin smiled. "About time you admitted I am more organized than you," he said arrogantly, crossing his arms.

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him. "Only because I didn't think I wouldn't ever need to use them. I just ignore them. You're supposed to be in charge of them." She crossed her arms and twisted away from him. "But as usual, Skyguy, you need me to cover your back. Even when we're not on the battlefield," she added with a smug smile.

"Yeah yeah. Now get going, Snips," Anakin ordered. "You've got a long job ahead of you."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and spun on her heels. "Thanks," she muttered as she headed for the door.

Anakin watch her walk away then glanced at Lilith, who was looking wide-eyed at him. "Uh, Snips. Aren't you forgetting something?"

Ahsoka spun back and looked around, confused.

"Or someone?" Anakin hinted.

She turned her head to look at Lilith. "You want her to go with me?"

Anakin reached over and closed the communication channel he was using. The strong blue light that lite the flat center of the holotable dimmed to a bare glow. "Yup," Anakin finally responded as he turned and headed for the door.

"But why can't she go with you?" Ahsoka asked as he passed by her.

Anakin stopped in the open doorway. "Because I'm going to the Bridge and I don't want her wandering around in there." He smiled, said "good luck," then turned and made his escape.

Aware of Lilith's gaze, Ahsoka fought against the glare that instinctively tried to come to her face as she watched her master all but run away, leaving her with the youngling. She finally looked back at Lilith and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I guess we should go then." She gestured at Lilith to follow her.

As Ahsoka and Lilith walked down the hallway, Ahsoka racked her brain for something to say. She didn't want to continue awkwardly through the ship. "So," she began slowly, just to break the silence. She searched desperately for something she might have in common with this girl. "Master Jervendo is your class master, right?"

"Yeah," Lilith responded dully.

Ahsoka couldn't tell if she appreciated the attempt or was annoyed by it. "You must like having him, huh? I know I did when I was little," she continued.

"He's okay, I guess," the youngling said. "I don't really like him though. He's boring. And he's kind of weird."

Ahsoka slid her eyes sideways to look at Lilith. She really liked Master Jervendo and owned him a lot. He had assisted her with her lightsaber training when she was little and helped her find a form that worked for her. His guidance eventually led to her discovering the Shein style. Ahsoka had been intrigued with it because it was unorthodox and not commonly used. Everyone said it was pretty difficult to guard against, but even more so to master. Master Jervendo was one of the few people who actually supported her decision to learn it and helped her study it. Ahsoka couldn't help but be a little defensive of the Jedi Master. She also didn't like how Lilith was speaking the insults in the first place. Almost aloofly. Blankly, like she didn't really care, just stating hard facts. "Really?" Ahsoka asked calmly. "Why do you say that?"

Lilith shrugged. "He doesn't do whole lot. Like, he almost never even takes out his lightsaber and shows us anything. And he always makes us be so quiet, even when he's not talking. And, when we're doing lightsaber drills, if we finish early, he gives us _more_ to do. And he never really helps us with anything. Just tells us what to do."

Ahsoka's white eyemarks lowered. Master Jervendo had always been more reserved about using his lightsaber. He believed things could be solved without them. He was also very modest about his skills and didn't like to show them off. He also didn't usually offer one on one help unless you asked. He once told Ahsoka that that was how he separated out the hard workers. If a youngling wanted assistance enough to approach him and ask, then he knew that they truly wanted to learn and were willing to swallow their pride and fears. But everything else Lilith had said… "Those things don't sound so unreasonable. Plus, Master Jervendo likes it when you ask him for help. It shows him you're dedicated."

"Well I don't like him," Lilith said bluntly. "Maybe he just liked you better."

Ahsoka frowned. Again that indifferent tone came through. Lilith almost spoke like she was making pointless small talk. "Master Jervendo doesn't play favorites. Maybe you just need to get to know him. He really is a nice man."

"I'm not saying he isn't nice. He's not mean. I just don't like him," Lilith said sourly.

Ahsoka sighed. Arguing with this girl got her nowhere.

Luckily, they soon made it to the conference room, and Ahsoka was suddenly thankful for the mindless, time-consuming task her master had assigned to her. It would distract her from the company he had also assigned to her.

Rex was alone in the relatively small room, sitting in one of four chairs that sat around a large table that was clearly the focus of the room. A hologram of Aurebesh lettering floated in front of him, streaming slowly downward. When he noticed they'd entered the room, he tapped the screen in the middle of the control panel that was built into the table in front of him and the lettering froze.

"Hey kid," he said as Ahsoka approached the chair. "I already got you in the files, so you should be all set. You can plug in the datacard from your pad right there." He pointed to a slot in the controls. "From there you can stream through them fairly quickly. But matching up the coded entries exactly right might get a little boring, so be careful to watch the numbers so you don't key them in wrong."

"Okay, I got it." As Ahsoka pulled the card out of her datapad, she spied Lilith beginning to wander around the room. "Hey Rex," she said lowering her voice to so soft that the Captain had to bend down to hear. "Can you keep an eye on her while I do this?" There was no signal necessary to show who she was talking about.

Rex looked at the youngling. She had gone to one of the wall monitors and seemed very curious about it. "Sure," he said reluctantly.

"You're the best, Rex," Ahsoka said with a genuine smile.

Rex straightened up, keeping his eyes on the youngling, and gave a small return smile. He strode to the other side of Ahsoka's chair and leaned against the table as she began her work. He tried not to be too irritated at being put on babysitting duty. Yet again. Though, this youngling was quite a bit younger than Ahsoka was.

Rex focused on the girl and tried to remember back to his first impression of Ahsoka. Young, he remembered, though that didn't seem quite true in the face of this girl, who was most definitely young. She was human, of course, so that was another difference. She had long dark hair that hung loose and fell all around, giving her a bit of a messy look. Her stature was small and short, but very straight, like she was trying to look taller. Ahsoka just had a bit more refined appearance than this girl. However, Lilith's eyes, though a dark brown, were wide and inquisitive. Just like Ahsoka's.

Rex suppressed a laugh. Yeah, just like the day he'd met the kid.

* * *

**I hate this chapter. We are fighting. It gave me probably the worse writer's block I've ever had, and trust me, I've had some doozies. You can thank Casting Crowns, Jesus, and Hershey's hot chocolate for getting me through it.  
But Chapter four and I have yet to forgive each other. Do not speak to it. It is evil. I would however like your thoughts on it because I'm having a little trouble getting past my blind hatred of it. Who knows? Maybe you can be the review that helps us to make up. Or you could tell me everything that's wrong with it and help me in my arguement. lol Please review, it truely does make my day...or night as the case is at the moment. Because yes, it is 2:34 am. lol :-D**


	5. Chapter 5

"Please don't touch that, youngling."

Lilith turned around to look at Rex before pulling her hand back from a wall computer.

He had only been with her for twenty minutes but Lilith was already giving Rex a roaring impulse to pull his hair out. And when taking into consideration how short his hair was, you might see how this was a big deal. In fact, to keep himself from trying, he actually had to put his helmet back on. Though, another reason for this might be so the youngling couldn't see the look on his face every time he told her not to touch something or to stay away from something or not to look at classified documents or...well, you probably get the picture.

Ahsoka must have sensed his irritation, however, because every few minutes - or whenever he got particularly annoyed - the Padawan would look up at him with a slight smile on her face. That must be a talent that came with age, training, or experience though, because Lilith didn't seem to notice. It was odd to think of the General's young Padawan as the experienced one.

The most impressive part about all of it, though, was the fact that the youngling managed to cause all this without saying anything at all. She had stayed completely silent. And so, it's not hard to imagine how Rex almost flinched when Lilith finally did use her voice.

"What do you do if there's an emergency?" she asked, gazing up at Rex with wide eyes.

Rex kept his position against the wall with hands behind his back, but shrugged. "Depends on the emergency," he answered.

The youngling seemed to think about this. "What if there's a fire?" she questioned.

"Then we put it out."

"How?" the girl shot.

Though she couldn't see, Rex's eyes narrowed at the child. Her tone made it sound as though she were quizzing him. "We put it out," he repeated, irritated. "More than that, you don't have to worry about."

Lilith's face furrowed at that, but she continued anyway. "What if we run into an asteroid storm?" she asked, raising an eyebrow the same way Ahsoka sometimes did, Rex noticed.

"Our hull shields are strong. They would hold until we got out of it."

"What if the engines go out?" she probed further.

Rex stifled the growling sigh that almost slipped out. He really didn't want to play this game. "They won't," he stated. "We have engines and backup engines and backup power for both." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "There's nothing to be afraid of on this ship."

Again, the youngling's face wrinkled, this time in apparent anger or offense. "I'm not scared!" she exclaimed indignantly. "Don't you dare think I'm scared!"

She crossed her arms and pouted in silence for a few moments, though not nearly long enough in Rex's opinion. When he didn't say anything about her mini-tantrum, as she seemed to want him to – she practically dared him with her eyes – she continued with her 'interrogation'.

"What if we get attacked by enemy ships?" she queried, her face set in a pleased expression with her chin up and her eyes wide. Clearly, she was sure she'd stumped him this time.

Now Rex didn't _want_ to scare this girl. At least, that wasn't his intention at first. However, for a moment, his aggravation overrode his restraint and the temptation bested him. "There is a definitely possibility of that happening," he said bluntly. "That's why a _war ship_ isn't exactly the right place for a youngling. No matter the safety _on_ the ship, we could be attacked by people off ship at any time."

Rex kept his eyes straight so he wouldn't see the youngling's expression, though regret slowly flooded him as she remained silent. That said it all. At least he thought it did. But before guilt could smother him too much, the youngling spoke again.

"Can I have Ahsoka's datapad?" she asked, pointing at the object, which sat across the room near Ahsoka's arm. She showed no sign that his comment had fazed her at all.

Rex turned his eyes to look but, caught off guard by Lilith's sudden subject change, he stuttered. "Uh….. You'll have to ask her, youngling. It's not mine to give away."

Swirling around in an exaggerated motion, Lilith strode towards Ahsoka.

Ahsoka, working contently until this moment, lifted her eyes to watch the approaching child, with one of her eyemarks following suit a moment later.

Lilith halted in front of Ahsoka, her feet stopping in one last dramatic stomp, and stood straight for a few moments before speaking. "Since you're not using it, can I have your datapad?"

Mimicking Lilith, Ahsoka was also silent for a bit before answering slowly. "You can _borrow _it for a while. I don't mind…"

Lilith picked up the device.

"…But," Ahsoka continued. "You have to promise to be careful with it. Don't bang it, don't scratch it, don't hit it against anything, and _especially _don't drop it."

"I'm not stupid," Lilith responded, placing her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side. The datapad was held carelessly in her right hand, while the back of that wrist was set against her body. Ahsoka resisted the impulse to take the datapad back before the youngling dropped it. She really didn't want to have that conversation with Anakin about why she needed a new datapad.

"I know," Ahsoka stated, fighting to keep her hands on the desk. "But that type of datapad is expensive and I just want you to make sure you're careful."

Lilith turned around without seeming to acknowledge Ahsoka's statement, and began fiddling with the datapad.

Ahsoka gritted her teeth as she turned back to her work. _Oh please, let it survive in working condition. Or at least fixable condition..._

Thankfully, the youngling was content to keep still and occupy herself with the datapad after that. Ahsoka couldn't imagine what she found to do with it. She thanked her lucky stars that her private messages and files were all automatically password protected. _Not that I have anything to hide from her_, she thought to herself. _But I'm definitely more comfortable knowing she's not over there sifting through all my stuff!_

A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention as Rex settled into a chair on the other end of the table. He pulled off his helmet and, after setting on the table, leaned back in his chair.

Ahsoka allowed herself to relax as she tuned in on his feelings. She hid a smile as her mind slowly touched them. Irritation was his dominate emotion but, oddly enough, confusion was mixed in too. Both were flowing smoothly throughout his being.

Sensing Rex's feelings were different than sensing those of a Jedi, Ahsoka observed. A Jedi's feelings seemed to be in the force itself. They seemed to float around the person like an aura instead of actually penetrating the person. Though, this wasn't the same for all Jedi. Like Anakin, for example. Anakin's emotions seemed to be everywhere, flowing in and out of him freely, as well as permeating the Force that surrounded him.

Now Rex – and all other non-Force-sensitive beings for that matter – was a different matter. His feelings coursed and pulsed through him alone, leaking into the Force a bit, but not rolling through it. His feelings didn't travel to her immediately when she opened herself up into the Force, the way it happened with Anakin and other Jedi. She could sense his emotions, of course – the Force connected and existed in all lifeforms – but they weren't automatically accessible. She had to know they were there first.

Ahsoka turned her attention to Lilith now. Her Force signature glowed the same way as every other Jedi, only a little less brightly because of her inexperience with the Living Force. Just as in the Cargo Bay the first time, Lilith didn't react to the touch of Ahsoka's mind. Not that the child would have a reason to, of course, but Ahsoka found it extremely entertaining to eavesdrop on the youngling without her knowledge. Anakin wasn't any fun that way. He rarely humored her and usually shut her out.

In contrast, Lilith's emotions now came unbidden to Ahsoka. Delight pumped through Lilith and the Force directly around her, not as much as with a normal Jedi, but not so little as with a non-force-user.

Ahsoka's brow knit in amused puzzlement as an odd urgency suddenly rose up in Lilith and the girl looked up and around anxiously. She got to her feet in a few awkward movements and shuffled over to Ahsoka.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" the youngling blurted out quickly, her voice a few octaves higher than normal.

Ahsoka tried so hard not to laugh. So hard. But watching this girl as she shifted her weight back and forth, and then began to bounce on her toes, wore on her self-control. As it happened, Ahsoka let out a small snort of laughter she couldn't contain.

Lilith shot Ahsoka a cross look before marching for the door without waiting for a response.

Ahsoka felt guilty for a few seconds. Then the expression on Lilith's face as she rocked on her toes came back to mind. Again, Ahsoka snickered. Turning back to her work, she glanced at the file she was looking for. It was from almost three months ago. She sighed. _Oh well. Only 10 more weeks to go!_

* * *

It wasn't until Ahsoka finished her work and pushed her chair away from the table that she noticed Lilith hadn't returned from the bathroom.

_Where is she? _

Ahsoka looked over at Rex, who was still reclining in the same chair. "Where did Lilith go?" she asked as she stood and stretched.

Rex glanced around, though Ahsoka was sure he already knew the youngling wasn't there. She was hard to miss. "I suppose she's still in the 'fresher," he answered when he looked back at her.

Ahsoka glanced down at the chronometer built into the control board and placed her hands on her hips. "For over an hour?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, right." She sighed and started for the door. "I guess I'd better go find her."

Rex nodded and followed her out the door. "I'll go let the General know you're done, unless you need some help."

Ahsoka shook her head. "No it's okay. It's not like there's anywhere for her to go on an enclosed ship."

Going their separate ways, Ahsoka followed the hall towards the refreshers while Rex went back in the direction of the Bridge.

After checking the bathrooms and – no surprise – not finding Lilith, Ahsoka decided the next best place to look was the Mess hall. _Kids like to eat, right?_

Because the soldiers got off their shifts at all different times, the Mess served food just about all day and there were always men eating there. Ahsoka walked into the large cafeteria and quickly scanned the room. Nothing greeted her eyes except for the varied shades of white of the soldiers' armor. Ahsoka's brow furrowed and she planted her hands on her hips. _Not here either... where _is_ she? _

She stood in the doorway for a second while she decided what to do. _Well, someone must have seen her. I can't imagine a Jedi youngling walking through a war ship unnoticed. _

Her mind made up, Ahsoka spun around and began walking back towards the Bridge. On the way, she passed a few soldiers, one of whom she stopped. "Excuse me, trooper," she called, reaching out her hand as if to grab his arm. He turned around, however, before she made contact. "Have you seen a little girl walking around here anywhere?" she questioned before he could ask.

The man's eyes, though he was clearly trying to be discreet, quickly glanced over Ahsoka's small form.

Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _No, I'm not trying to trick you. I'm not talking about me! _She sighed with a tinge of annoyance. _I'm not a child…_

"I haven't noticed anyone new, ma'am," the clone eventually stumbled out, trying to recover himself.

"Thanks," she snapped as she turned to continue on her way. Instead of heading to the Bridge, she went to the lifts, which led back towards the command quarters. She suddenly didn't feel like looking for Lilith anymore. After all, like she said before, there wasn't anywhere for her to really go on a ship that was travelling through space. She was just a little girl. What trouble could she possibly get into?

Just as Ahsoka ambled up to the lifts, the doors opened and someone stepped off. Ahsoka quickly recognized the clone as Tack and gave a little wave when he looked up.

"Oh, there you are, Commander," he said, his dark eyebrows rising.

"Yep." One of Ahsoka's white eyemarks also rose. "Were you looking for me?"

"No, but I think someone else was. A little girl." As he spoke, Tack waved his hand, indicating a point that was roughly Lilith's height. "At least, I assumed she was looking for you," he continued. "She asked where your quarters were."

Now Ahsoka's eyemark wrinkled in a combination of confusion and suspicion. "Did you tell her?"

Tack nodded, but, after taking in Ahsoka's expression, looked troubled. "Should I not have?"

"No," Ahsoka said slowly, confirming it with herself as much as the trooper. _Why would she go there?_ Ahsoka was suddenly struck with how _incredibly_ uncomfortable she was with Lilith in her room alone and felt an urgent need to protect her property.

Throwing a quick "Thanks Tack!" over her shoulder as she rushed onto the lift, Ahsoka hit the down button and waiting impatiently for the doors to close.

As soon as the doors opened on the correct level, Ahsoka hurried through the halls to get to her room. She stumbled to a halt outside her door and waited a moment before realizing that the doors were taking too long to open. She looked down and rubbed a finger against the security chip scanner. She pressed one of the side buttons and a red light flashed. _Locked? Why is it locked?_ Ahsoka never locked her door, mostly because she didn't want to bother keeping up with the small security chip necessary to unlock the door from the outside. That it was now locked meant Lilith must have locked it, assuming she was inside. Ahsoka knocked on the door, miffed that she was locked out of her own quarters; her, the Commander. "Lilith. Are you in there?"

There were a few very suspicious sounding bumps that came before an even more suspicious sounding "Yes…"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "Open up!" she called, knocking again.

"Okay, coming…" More bumps came, then the sound of hurried footsteps that were not heading for the door.

"Lilith!"

"Coming!"

The door flashed open and Ahsoka stomped into the room. She immediately glanced around the room for anything out of place before bringing her eyes to Lilith. "What were you doing in here?"

At first, Lilith didn't respond. Then she gave a little shrug. "I was looking for your journal," she stated without even a hint of repentance in her voice.

Ahsoka glared at the girl. "I don't keep a journal," she responded sharply. "And even if I did, I wouldn't leave it lying out in the open." She crossed her arms. "Why were you looking for it anyway?"

Again, Lilith shrugged. "I was reading some of the mission reports that you and Master Skywalker went on on your datapad, but they only had the technical stuff. I thought that your journal might have more excited stories."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and tilted her head. "You could have just asked. I would have been happy to tell you some of the stories."

Lilith shifted and, looking down, drew her foot across the ground. "Maybe later."

Ahsoka watched Lilith, confused. _Why would she be looking for my journal for stories if she didn't want to hear the stories now anyway? _Ahsoka glanced around the room. _Where is..._ "Lilith," she began slowly. "Where is my datapad?"

Lilith kept her eyes on the ground and shrugged.

_Stop shrugging! _"Lilith! What happened to my datapad?"

"I...I don't know." She was still looking at the floor.

Ahsoka sighed in exasperation. "You lost it?"

"No…" Now Lilith looked up at Ahsoka. "I just….can't…. find it."

"Lilith, I told you to be careful with that! I need it!" Ahsoka exclaimed.

"Actually," Lilith retorted, crossing her arms. "You said to be careful not to drop it. I didn't drop it!"

"Lilith!" Ahsoka all but growled. "Find it!"

Lilith lapsed into a pout as Ahsoka turned to walk out of the room. "I'm going to the Bridge," she snapped, pausing in the doorway. "Being it to me when you find it."

Lilith's frown deepened to the point that Ahsoka almost felt sorry for the girl. Almost.

* * *

**Anakin's POV**

Anakin was summoned to the Communications room when the call came. It was Obi-wan. Of course it was.

"Hello Anakin," Obi-wan greeted in an overly pleasant voice.

Anakin was immediately suspicious of the Jedi Master's tone. "Hello Obi-wan..."

Instead of stating his reason for calling, Obi-wan acknowledged his salutation with a nod of his head.

An awkward silence ensued. _Well this is bad..._

Obi-wan eventually broke the silence by clearing his throat. "The Council has a request to make of you, Anakin."

Anakin snorted. "Request. Hah. Right." He shook his head slowly. "Well, I'll bite. What is this 'request'?"

Obi-wan brought his hands behind his back as he spoke. "We need you to go to Uyter directly upon the completion of your current assignment," he stated. "The leaders there wish to officially sign their allegiance to the Republic, though they have a condition: A Jedi must come to overlook the sighing and attend the celebration party afterwards."

"What?" Anakin groaned in disbelief. "Obi-wan, I have better things to do than go play aristocrat."

"Well, evidently not, but that isn't the point," Obi-wan commented.

Anakin crossed his arms. "Then what is?"

Obi-wan sighed. "Look Anakin, since we're being blunt, you aren't exactly our ideal selection to send to Uyter, but unfortunately, none of us have a choice. We need someone there within the planetary rotation and you are the only one who is in that sector that could get there in time. You're our only option."

Setting his arms against the holotable, Anakin leaned forward and stared at the small blue hologram of his old Master. "Obi-wan. I hate negotiating."

"And Force knows you're bad at it," Obi-wan mumbled.

"Hey!"

Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Trust me, Anakin. You will be doing no negotiating. Everything is already set up. The leaders agreed to speak with our negotiators via hologram and terms were decided then."

"If everything has already been decided, why do I have to go?"

Obi-wan gave a small shrug. "The people of Uyter are extremely traditional. There is a very specific way that they sign the allegiance of their planet. Because the Jedi are the ones who are actually leading troops and fighting for the Republic, the leaders want a representative of us present for their ceremonies."

Anakin took a moment to consider, though he knew he wasn't really being giving a choice here. "Alright. We'll go," he eventually conceded. Then a thought occurred to him. "Obi-wan, we still have that youngling with us. What am I supposed to do with her while I'm doing this?"

"You will just have to take her with you, Anakin. You don't have time to drop her here. I've no doubt that the Uyterian leaders will insist on your Padawan attending with you, so you may just have to leave the child on the ship."

Anakin sighed in defeat. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

"All you have to do is go to each of the gatherings and represent the Jedi. You won't be required to say anything, except for maybe a few words thanking the people for their support. I'll put you into contact with Senator Lexi Dio. She will work everything out and give you the details." Obi-wan hesitated for a moment before adding, "And please, Anakin. Do try and be polite."

* * *

**Ahsoka's POV**

Ahsoka stalked down to the Bridge. She was almost in sight of the door when a soldier came up to her.

"Excuse me, Commander," the trooper began. "But the General is looking for you. He's in the Comm. room."

Ahsoka sighed. _What is it now? And what is he doing in the Communications room?_ After thanking the soldier, Ahsoka switched direction and headed for the comm. room, fuming the whole way there. When she got to the door, she didn't bother taking a moment to relax before storming into the small, dark room. She quickly spied her master by the large holotable that sat in the center of the room. "Are we there yet?" she moaned as she approached him. "I ready to go home."

Her master turned from the holotable to face her. His face was calm but Ahsoka could sense annoyance simmering just below the surface. "Actually, yeah. We're only a few minutes away."

Ahsoka sensed a huge 'but' coming. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not gonna like what's coming next?"

Anakin gave a wry smile. "As soon as we're done here, we're going straight to Uyter. The Council has an assignment for us."

Ahsoka's shoulder sagged for a moment. "Of course! They would give one to us _now_!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. Then she set her hands on her hips. "What about Lilith?"

Anakin's silence was not comforting in the slightest. "Well what exactly are we doing?"

"Oh, don't worry Snips." Anakin tone twisted with sarcasm. "This one is an exciting one…"

* * *

**Hey guys! Hope you liked the new chapter! (It's my longest yet!) And thanks to you, strange person, who was absolutely and uselessly annoying while this chapter was kicking my butt. You know who you are, ya jerk. ;-)  
And thanks for all the encouraging reveiws for the last chapter! Y'all will be happy to know that we made up and no long hate each other! lol So thanks!  
Love to hear y'alls opinions of this chapter so reveiw please! They makes me very happy! Thanks for reading!**


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